Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Lineup Released

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has released its schedule and lineup for its 19th annual event, which will run Feb. 6-26. This year's festival will include 180 screenings, featuring 75 international films from 24 countries at several venues around metro Atlanta, including the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.

You can check out the schedule on the film festival's website. Attendees will enjoy a diverse selection of movies representing a range of genres and a myriad of topics, including life in Israel, anti-Semitism, the LGBTQ experience, the arts and social justice issues. The movies will be followed by a post-film question-and-answer session with filmmakers, actors, community leaders and others.

“We’re proud to bring audiences a lineup that will not only be exhilarating and entertaining but challenging and compelling,” said Kenny Blank, executive director of AJFF. “Our film going experience is shaped by the social and political tides of our time, and certainly this year’s lineup includes films that will provoke audiences to think in new ways and see their world in a new light. From dramas that tug on the heartstrings, to comedies that lift our spirits, and documentaries that both inform and entertain, there is a rewarding and enriching movie experience awaiting audiences of all faiths and backgrounds.”

The 19th annual festival will feature film premiers, including the thriller "Carbon," and the French dramedy, "Simon and Théodore." Other notable films include "A Fortunate Man," a romance set in 19th century Copenhagen; "It Must Schwing!: The Blue Note Story," a story of two German-Jewish immigrants who created the most iconic jazz label in industry history; "The Interpreter," a bittersweet movie full of melancholic humor that transverses complex moral and historical territory is from Slovakia; "Leona," an empowering story of a young woman who finds herself torn between her Syrian Jewish family and a forbidden love; and "King Bibi: The Life and Performances of Benjamin Netanyahu," which explores the life of Israel's prime minister.

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The film festival will also give attendees a variety of perspectives on topics of the day. "Working Woman" and "The Tale" embody the #MeToo movement with their portrayals of sexual harassment and abuse. The focus moves to gender identity in "Family in Transition," which provides an account of an Israeli father who decides to become a woman. A captivating look at the growing underbelly of white nationalism, and the countervailing voices it inspired, can be seen in the exposé "Alt-Right: Age of Rage."

Tickets will go on sale online starting at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 28. Prices are:

• $36 for opening night general admission (includes complimentary parking and film)
• $36 for young professionals night, presented by ACCESS (includes pre-show party and film)
• $36 for closing night (includes complimentary parking, film, and post-screening food tasting)
• $15 for general admission
• $13 for matinees and seniors/students/children

For more information, visit AJFF.org. If you're so inclined, you can stay connected via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and use #AJFF2019.

Image via Atlanta Jewish Film Festival